Henrico’s Top Teachers – Allison Bartholomay

By Tom Lappas, Citizen Editor (Photo by Wayne Miller for the Henrico Citizen)

02/16/12

Allison Bartholomay always knew that she wanted to perform in front of an audience. She just didn’t realize that it might be composed of third-graders instead of theater-goers.

Bartholomay brings a wealth of experiences to her Johnson Elementary School classroom each day. She grew up in France and England, majored in theater and Spanish in college and does her best to incorporate some of her own life into the lives of her third-graders on a daily basis.

During her decade as a teacher (which also included time at Dumbarton and Skipwith elementaries), Bartholomay has worked with a number of students with special needs, behavioral issues and those for whom English is a second language. The key to reaching every student, she says, is building the community of the classroom and convincing students that they’re all smart in their own ways.

“That’s tough because some students may not feel that way at first,” she says. “But once that happens and they believe in themselves, they realize that anything is possible.”

It’s her constant motivation to find ways to reach each student in her class that sets Bartholomay apart.

“Ms. Bartholomay makes her students get excited about every topic, even if it would not necessarily excite them to begin with,” a colleague wrote in a nomination letter. “She teaches 21st-century skills with ease, infusing creativity and technology, breathing excitement into the Henrico curriculum.”

In addition to her full-time job, Bartholomay also teaches a course at VCU about integrating the arts into elementary curriculum. She’s familiar with the topic because she lives it every day.

“Being a theater major has helped me reach all levels of students,” she says. “If a child doesn’t understand something on paper, we’re going to act it out. If that doesn’t work, we’re going to sing it out. We’ll go out on the playground and act it out, or we’ll go somewhere on my Promothean board.”

She uses song and dance to engage students, such as having them sing “Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes” in Spanish and performing a song about the regions of Virginia with choreography.

To challenge students, she gives them a new word to learn each day.

“I choose the hardest words I can find for third grade,” she says. “Convivial. Sagacious. And they use them, and know what they mean. It’s a thrill for me to be able to teach them something and watch them take it on to someone else.”

Her students also write weekly goals for themselves, which they keep in mini folders on their desks and use to motivate themselves and to evaluate their accomplishments.

Bartholomay credits the environment in Henrico schools with allowing her to feel comfortable and confident trying new approaches in the classroom.

“Henrico County allows you to think outside the box,” she says. “They trust that you’re an expert in your field and you can take [students] where they need to be and more.

“I feel like I walk in every day, I want to have fun, and [the students] make my day fun. So I try to teach them so that they’ll be engaged. If I’m not having fun, then I don’t feel like I’m doing my job. I’m here to teach them content, but I also want to be that voice in their head – when they’re 12 and they don’t believe in themselves, or when they’re 15 and someone is trying to lead them down the wrong path – that gives them the confidence to do the right thing.”

The 10th Annual Filipino Festival will be held Aug. 7-8 at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, 8200 Woodman Rd., beginning with opening ceremonies at 5 p.m. Friday and continuing with live entertainment, food and exhibits until 10 p.m. On Saturday the festival will take place from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. with a full schedule of performances featuring traditional Filipino dance, music and song.

Filipino cuisine, including BBQ, pansit, lumpia, adobo, halo-halo, lechon, empanada and leche flan, will be available for purchase. The festival will also feature a children's area, church tours, exhibits, and health screenings. > Read more.

The Children’s Museum of Richmond last week opened its new Short Pump location at Short Pump Town Center, to the delight of children who attended a sneak preview of the location July 10. The new facility, located under the forthcoming LL Bean store (formerly the food court) is 8,500 square feet in size – much larger than CMoR’s former Short Pump location at West Broad Village, which opened in 2010. The new space includes The CarMax Foundation Service Station, the Silver Diner, a grocery store, a performance stage and an art studio, as well as a giant Light Bright Wall. > Read more.

The Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Henrico Police are both presenting community events tomorrow, Aug. 1. The Feria Community Resource Fair at Richmond International Raceway brings together community service providers, embassies/consulates from Latin American countries, government agencies, nonprofit organizations and corporations that impact the Latino community. The Division of Police’s Community Day will feature demonstrations and displays from police, fire, animal protection and sheriff’s office, as well as family activities, food, entertainment and more. Other events this weekend include wine, chess and theatre! For all our top picks this weekend, click here! > Read more.

Classifieds

ATTENTION DIABETICS with Medicare. Get a FREE talking meter and diabetic testing supplies at NO COST, plus FREE home delivery! Best of all, this meter eliminates painful finger pricking! Call…
Full text